Chapter 1024
Chapter 1024 - 1110 Prejudice
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8 min read
While Lu Ping’an happily headed towards his destination, a massacre had just come to an end on a nearby island.
"....Somewhat interesting."
With splintered corpses in her hands and hands dyed red, Eve faced away from the rising sun and smiled faintly.
The satisfied craving for slaughter had provided her with rare tranquility.
Meanwhile, her subordinates were dragging the fragments of the few unfortunate ones aboard the ship... For the Life system, such "perfect bodies" above Decree-level were exceptionally high-quality and scarce materials.
As for the object of their competition, that "ticket" for the next round...
"Have you not identified it yet?"
Upon Eve’s glance, the followers of the Mother Goddess cult broke out in cold sweat.
This sister here wasn’t easy to serve.
"...Found it, found it! It’s the ’Fate Marker’, a miraculous item that can be used once. Once unlocked in the second stage, it can ask any question..."
"Anything?" Eve said, her face full of disbelief. Could a Creation involving fate be that easy to obtain?
".....The records say, it is limited to people and objects within the ’Martial Fight of Sacrifice’."
Alright then, if it was only limited within this tiny Secret Realm, it was completely useless.
But if one were to ask questions like "Who is my opponent?", "Where is the ’Divine Grace’ I want located?", or "Whom should I choose as my opponent to go further?", under the scrutiny of "Fate", one could actually obtain remarkably stable and reliable answers.
It could serve as an advantage for the next round, yet it was an expendable item that could not be taken outside. This level of item matched the difficulty of acquisition.
"....Really?!"
And at this moment, Eve’s face showed joy, as this might be the treasure she had been seeking.
"Old Qian, no offense, but this is a bit out of line."
"What’s the matter? You think the charge for information is too high? You don’t seem like someone who lacks that bit of money."
"No, I mean, why did you bring non-combatants to the battlefield....aren’t you afraid your granddaughter might die before you, leaving no one to care for your last moments?"
Lu Ping’an pointed at Qian Xiaomu, who was looking disgruntled, somewhat puzzled.
Although there was still the enforced "one-on-one" rule, some people truly had no limits.
In the end, the opponent could indeed take "hostages" to force Old Qian to concede.
"....Heh heh."
Old Qian simply gave a mysterious smile, without any explanation.
This time, Lu Ping’an somewhat understood; looking at the young lady running ahead, it seemed she had certain self-protective abilities. After all, if she were truly an ordinary person, it would have been better to casually hire a part-time nanny than to have her on this ship.
"I challenge you."
The more incredible development, however, unfolded right in front of Lu Ping’an’s eyes.
The little girl, who seemed no older than an eight-year-old elementary school student, had directly challenged an adult fighter.
And what was even more unbelievable, was that the opponent not only accepted the challenge...
"...This, is a bit far-fetched."
In just two minutes, the bout had come to an end, and little Qian Xiaomu had easily secured the victory.
She was a pure human warrior, very fast and precise in movement. Although it was clear she lacked strength, combined with the force-exerting device on her wrist, she was able to withstand the physical collisions of normal warriors.
The small figure darted like a meteor, and like a mechanical yet precise puppet, nimbly dodged every attack. Her short stature made her opponent uncomfortable while a Shrink Land combined with a classic "force exertion" move brutally broke through the adult’s defense.
An uppercut from below, perfectly delivered a concussion... If she hadn’t held back, that spot might have spewed brains.
Thus, the unfortunate soul fell, his face in disbelief, earning the peculiar experience of being "knocked down by an eight-year-old girl."
And Lu Ping’an, witnessing this scene, felt even more intrigued... He sensed that if he didn’t use his vines and only relied on his physical body, he would probably be beaten down just the same.
It was clear that Xiao Mu was no rookie, each of her moves bore the traces of hard training and talent. Her movements and skills reminded Lu Ping’an of features typical of a high-level martial monk...
"Such simplified movements, she has eliminated all unnecessary motion, so young, and yet so inconceivable."
Within the standard Combat Skill, the approach is comprehensive, yet each individual is different; they could not fully copy one another.
The same technique, practiced by different people, might result in something completely unique, and the ability to "restructure" various martial techniques at will, discarding unneeded movements, where each move has a "target," is a trademark of a high-level martial monk.
And this often requires a considerable level of Awakener profession part-time, those movements that appear as unpredictable and indefensible as an Antelope Horn are not just achieved through rigorous practice.
At any time, being "simple" -- the simplest actions achieving the best effects -- is the state of being that Fighters dream of doing.
"...dead at heart?"
Although it’s a cliché adjective, it is indeed very fitting to describe Warriors in the occupations of Fighters and martial monks who have reached this state.
This is not some run-of-the-mill product... Lu Ping’an hasn’t even touched the surface!
"Hehe, Xiao Mu achieved it two years ago. This time, she came to try, I have long since stepped back."
Old Qian laughed as if he were a country bumpkin whose granddaughter just got into a prestigious university... err, considering Xiao Mu’s current strength and future prospects, it probably beats getting into any university.
"...Impressive, impressive... What about my target?"
But no matter how impressive the Little Girl is, it likely has nothing to do with Lu Ping’an.
He was just following the intelligence over here, but he hadn’t expected that after commissioning so many people, professional intelligence traders didn’t provide feedback; instead, it was Old Qian who gave an answer.
If it weren’t for the Life Bank Contract he had signed, Lu Ping’an would have thought he’d been lured into some trap.
"Grandpa, Uncle Su... I got Divine Grace! I fought ten!"
"Very good, Momo is really amazing!"
And watching the little girl who seemed like she had scored a perfect hundred and was boasting to her parents, Lu Ping’an couldn’t help but remember the pleasure and pride he felt upon receiving Divine Grace just a moment ago.
Err, he somehow felt a bit ashamed and embarrassed...
"I got Divine Grace!"
But the little girl, already holding her head high, announced it in front of Lu Ping’an.
Raising her head, her big eyes filled with longing, tears began to appear in the little girl’s eyes...
"Ah... right, right, very impressive, Xiao Mu, so impressive! To fight ten, you must be a genius!"
"Hehe, not that impressive."
Watching Lu Ping’an’s exaggerated performance, the little girl stood with her hands on her hips, proud but at the same time a bit embarrassed.
Lu Ping’an noticed that unlike himself, who was almost unharmed, the Little Girl’s ten victories didn’t come easy.
She had obvious wounds on her body, her face and body were covered in sweat, and what was most striking was the slash on her face... Who could be so cruel as to slash such a long cut on the little girl’s face?
Err, was the poor sod who got beaten half to death even more severely injured? Then it’s all good.
At that moment, seeing the cut on the girl’s face, Lu Ping’an couldn’t hold back.
His right hand reached out, ready to perform a deferred payment healing...
But just as his hand almost touched her, the little girl retreated sharply, her pupils filled with fear and vigilance.
This time, Lu Ping’an froze.
He glared fiercely at Old Qian who looked utterly baffled, blaming that old coot for whatever he had told the Little Girl.
But then, turning back, he saw the girl staring intently at the Tentacles he had...
Lu Ping’an sighed, indeed, people’s eyes are full of prejudice...
"Don’t move, I’ll heal you..."
He rarely showed a gentle and kind smile or voice.
This time, when his large hand came down, the bewildered little girl looked at him.
A gentle pat, and the fatigue and wounds disappeared without a trace, leaving the little girl’s face in disbelief.
"I divided your pain into three parts, just one part, which is some minor injuries... By this time tomorrow or the day after, the pain and fatigue will come back, but if you heal incrementally, it shouldn’t leave any scars."
On Lu Ping’an’s face was a rare gentleness.
The little girl nodded her head... then she ran behind her grandfather like a flash.
Lu Ping’an sighed helplessly again, stroking his somewhat depressed "Tentacles."
"Indeed, human prejudice..."
— End of Chapter 1024 —